Guises and Ghosts
by Amelia St.Claire
Summary: A year after the kidnapping and supposed death of Alise Brown, a young women comes to NEST, claiming to have been held captive on a Decepticon ship for three months. The only clues she holds to her capture are a cryptic tattoo on her arm and a message from the "Girl in the back room," to find Will Lennox. Who is she? Bee/OC. Sequel to All Beginnings.
1. Prologue

_3/3/10_

_The wet cobblestone sounded beneath her running feet, the rain hitting her face and stinging her skin. Her clothes were soaked to her body, and for a moment, she allowed herself to be angry at her own stupidity._ You should have never left the car!_ she bristled at herself, but that was all she allowed, knowing that she need to save all her energy to run for the time being. Her breath was ragged and painful, and she wanted nothing more than to slow down and rest, but she knew she couldn't. Stopping even for a moment might make it her last._

_Her arms were beginning to burn. She glanced down briefly at them to see an angry red seeping through her sweater. She knew she needed to get to Ratchet as soon as she could; she'd probably need stitches._

_Rounding the last corner to the Department of Health and Human Resources, she ran towards the building. The guards at the front gate, seeing her running towards the structure, started to walk outside of their posts and into the rain, guns drawn. She didn't care so much about their weapons as she continued in their direction, however. At least if she got shot it would be on NEST property._

_"Miss, miss!" the one guard halted her, making her stop suddenly in front of them. Looking at their faces, she found she didn't recognize either of the two guards. Joseph and Benson must have changed shifts already. "You can't come in here. This is private property."_

_"Please," she begged, tears streaming down her face along with the rain. Now that she had stopped running, pain was coursing through her entire body, and it made her borderline hysterical. "Please, I need to get through. I need help-"_

_"Ma'am," the other guard stated sternly. "You cannot come through. This is not a hospital-"_

_"I know that, god dammit!" she then yelled out of frustration, the combination of pain and exhaustion making her snap. "Please let me through!" she cried out, falling to her knees and onto the hard ground beneath her feet. "I work here. My name is Alise Brown. I've just been attacked."_


	2. Two Fingers

_I'll be titling my chapters a little differently than _All Beginnings_. I've been listening to a lot of music while I'm writing so I'm using the song I listened to the most as my chapter title. It doesn't necessarily represent the chapter, but the beat or sound might be my inspiration for the mood._

* * *

Two Fingers- Jake Bugg

_1/13/10_

Carrying three large and heavy boxes in her small arms, 26 year old interpreter Alise Brown started to sweat as she tried to take all of her belongings with her in as few trips as possible. Granted, she knew that trying to carry so many boxes at once would most likely do nothing more than make her arms a bit sore instead of helping her, she was stubborn enough to try and make it happen. Stopping for a moment to take a deep breathe, she readjusted the boxes in her hands as best she could before continuing to walk forward to her destination, which she knew was only a few more yards up the large hallway she was traveling on.

A lot had happened since the battle against the Fallen in Egypt. After her and the rest of NEST had returned to Diego Garcia, they were told they were going to be moving stateside in a very short amount of time; only a few months. After Egypt, the big cheeses in the government had determined that the need for the Autobots was greater than they originally anticipated, and they wanted them to be closer than almost a whole day's flight away. Needless to say that the company of NEST were all very excited to be getting out of the hot and isolated island in the Indian Ocean, and Alise would be lying if she said she wasn't one of them.

They had just arrived in Washington, D.C. the day before, and all of the new residents, both Autobot and human, we starting to get themselves settled in their new accommodations. Located in middle of the city, they were all currently moving into a large and spacious building that to the rest of the outside world was known as the Department of Health and Human Resources. Alise was still taken back at the enormity of their new home. Besides the building being large enough to house all the NEST soldiers who would now be taking residency at the location, it was also tall enough on the inside for any of the Autobots, even Optimus, to comfortably stand without any fear of reaching the ceiling or banging their heads. Alise was told that the only reason they didn't move in sooner than they already did was so the building could be built with the special requires needed for their alien comrades.

As the sneakered interpreter continued to walk along the large hallway, lost in her own thoughts, Alise mindlessly tripped over her own feet, and began to fall frontward from the weight of the boxes she was carrying. The boxes began to slip from her hands and she started to continue to journey towards the floor.

"Ooof!" she sounded, when suddenly, her fall was halted, and she felt a solid object in front of her. Her boxes became stilled as they hit the hard surface, and she heard a deep sigh from the other side of her packages as a set of hands steadied the stack in her grasp.

She smirked. She couldn't see her assistant in front of her, but she didn't have to see his face to know who it was. The weight of the boxes was taken out of her hands, and taken from her line of vision, making her come face to face with the man behind the boxes.

"Didn't you tell me you were just going to get your books?" Bumblebee's holoform asked her with a raised eyebrow. Shifting the boxes into his arms and holding all three easily, the two began to walk towards the room Alise was heading for; Alise's room. Lise laughed lightly at his statement as they continued on.

Much to Alise's pleasure, another change taking place was that Bee would now be staying with NEST full time. Though it was an odd feeling knowing that he was no longer Sam's guardian and that he wasn't being watched over all the time, Sam had made the decision to have a normal life without the Autobots constantly at his side. He still remained in contact with Bee, however. Bee was still one of his best friends. But neither the yellow bot nor the little interpreter were complaining. They were ready to work together full time and finally be able to spend time together.

"Well, here's the thing, Bee," Lise started to say as they walked. "These all are my books. In fact, if I'm not mistaken, I still have another box in the moving van."

Bee rolled his eyes at her. "You and your books," he scoffed jokingly. "Please tell me you didn't have Ron and Judy send you all of them from the house."

"Not _all_ of them... Just my favorites."

"That's not that far off."

She laughed. "Well you can thank them for rebuilding my collection while I was gone. I didn't even ask them to, thank you very much." The two laughed as they arrived at their room, Alise punching in the room number on the electronic keypad to enter.

There were two entrances to the large room, a human sized one and one large enough for an Autobot to enter. The room was originally designed to be utilized by both humans and Cybertronians, but its purpose now was as Alise's private living space. It wasn't much different than any of the other living quarters on the new base, only unlike the soldiers, she wasn't sharing hers with ten or so other people.

Alise entered the access code and the door opened, allowing the two to enter through the smaller doorway. The large room wasn't much to look at at the moment, but they were still putting it together. About half of the room was open space, wide and tall enough for bipedals to move around without any trouble, with plenty space for the Camaro to be parked if necessary.

The remaining quarter of the room was a raised, loft like platform, the height tall enough for meeting eye to eye with most Cybertronians. There was a spiral staircase that led up to the platform from the bottom of the room, and on the space was going to be Alise's bed, a dresser and mirror, a wardrobe, television set, bookshelf, and a privacy curtain once they unpacked. All the furniture was being supplied by NEST, to the interpreter's gratitude. The bottom of the platform near the stairs had the facilities that Alise needed like a closed bathroom and a shower, and a small kitchen. It was a large space for one person, but she loved it. Alise wanted to get to unpacking right away, and Bee was able to help her with all her stuff considering he didn't have any.

Smiling, Bee placed the boxes of books on the floor beside them. He then proceeded to wrap his arms around Alise's waist from behind as she looked up at her new space. "Yeah, yeah, I know you didn't."

She chuckled. Turning in his grasp, she gave him a light, questioning look. "How? Even I can see me doing that." He didn't reply. Instead, he gave simply shrugged his shoulders and gave her a suspicious smirk.

"I have no idea."

She looked at him with a confused expression for a moment, knowing he had to be up to something. But realization suddenly hit her, and her jaw dropped.

"Oh my god!" she yelled at him, a smile on her face. "You were the one who asked?"

He smirked, turning his head and not looking at her teasingly. "Maybe."

She gaped at him for a moment, and then shook her head before giving him a light kiss on the cheek, making him turn his face back towards her. "You're terrible. And you know me so well."

He chuckled. "What can I say? I'm just so charming and considerate."

Alise scoffed at him, giving him an incredulous look. "Oh, shut up."

With that, she stood on her toes and kissed him, long and lovingly, him doing the same in return. Bee very quickly picked her up and closer to him, as the two became lost in each other. Both were smiling with every feeling of their lips touching, and they became unaware of everything else around them. So much so that they didn't realize they currently weren't alone.

"Will you two cease from _bonding_ in the doorway?"

The two stopped at the same time before looking at each other questioningly. Not moving from their location or position, the two turned their heads towards the entrance to see the burly and gruff looking holoform of Ironhide in the open door to the room, a large and heavy looking packaging box resting on his shoulder. He was giving them an amused look with one of his large eyebrows raised. The couple started to blush furiously, now realizing that they didn't close the door.

Now that they had company, Bee gently placed Alise back on the ground, but placed one of his arms around her waist, keeping her close to his side.

"I get two Autobots helping me unpack?" Alise said next as 'Hide entered the room, placing the large box that was almost as tall as her on the wall next to them. "What did I do to deserve this honor?"

"It was either help you gather your belongings or the Hatchet with his medical records," 'Hide replied. "Needless to say the chances of me blasting him in the aft would have been more than likely. So I've come to help you assemble your..." He looked at the label on the large package he had just brought in, "'72 inch, 5 shelved, Oak wood open bookcase with a burnished cherry finish.'" He gave her a confused look. "Did you really bring that much reading material with you?"

"Oh, 'Hide, I'm touched!" she stated sarcastically, ignoring his last statement. After walking over to the large package, she started to examine it the outside. "Wow, this is nice," she commented, looking at the picture on the front of the box. "NEST really goes all out, don't they?"

"Well, they now have the resources to," Bee spoke as he came up behind her. "Least they could have done is bought you some new furniture, especially after Egypt. I'm glad they did." Ironhide nodded as he said this, agreeing with him.

"The rest of your prepackaged belongings are being delivered through the back," 'Hide remarked. "I'll return in a few minutes. I implore you both to not be _interfacing_ when I a do."

The young couple began to blush bright scarlet colors again. Not looking the older bot in the eye, Alise turned her head awkwardly away from him and Bee began to scratch his head. Chuckling once, the large holoform left the room. As he left and closed the door behind him, Bee and Alise looked at each other, their embarrassment still evident on their faces. Laughing, Bee reached over and put his arm around her waist once more, keeping her close as they continued to regard the bookcase.

"Ready to try a bit of normal human domestics?" Alise smirked, looking up at Bee. He chuckled, looking down at her.

"How are we trying_ normal, human_ domestics?" he questioned his femme, raising his eyebrow at her. "You do realize you'll still be living on an Autobot base, right?"

She laughed at him. "True, but that's besides the point. You are about to take place in a human right of passage, my dear Autobot. Assembling boxed furniture is one of the most feared tasks of humans moving into new homes. Are you sure you're ready for this, Scout?"

He scoffed at her. "I have battled Decepticons alone with little chance of survival. I think I can set up your bookshelf without too much difficulty."

"Decepticons aren't missing screws when you try and put them together."

He gave her a disbelieving look. "That happens? Why? That's pointless."

Alise nodded at him. "Some men just want to watch the world burn."

* * *

_"But now that the Decepticons know about you and Bee, we gotta establish some safety precautions."_

_Alise rolled her eyes, looking up at the Major with a challenging look._

_"You're not putting me on a leash, Will."_

_He chuckled once without humor, looking down at her with his arms crossed._

_"And I wouldn't try," he answered her sternly. "But Lise, these are the cons we're talking about. If you're on their blacklist, you're in trouble. We have to come up with something."_

_The group of humans and Cybertronians were currently en route home from Egypt aboard a Navy ship, seated in one of the empty plane bunkers to accommodate the vehicle forms of some of the Autobots. None of the massive bots were able to fit inside the ship in their bipedal forms, so they had to have a group meeting in their holoforms, human sized. Currently in the room was Alise, Bee, Sam and Mikaela, Will, Epps, 'Hide, Ratchet, Optimus, and Leo and Simmons, who had also survived their own battles with the cons. The elder Witwickys were being treated to a much deserved dinner onboard in the cafeteria, and everyone thought it would be a better idea to keep them in the dark about Alise's new 'friends.'_

_Alise looked up at Will and shrugged her shoulders._

_"Bee already has me on a tracker, Will," she told the group. "What more can we do? And the base is probably the safest place on the planet for me, anyway."_

_"It's not so much while you're on base, Lise," Epps chimed in then. "But if we ever get off of Diego Garcia, and soon, you can't go off anywhere without telling someone, okay? We don't think we're at the point where we think you need an escort anywhere, but in the mean time we need to play it safe."_

_Alise sighed, but nodded. "Okay, guys, whatever you think is best."_

_"You better agree, girly," 'Hide's bulky holoform stated next, crossing his arms as he continued. "I didn't look after you for so long for you to get snatched by a fragging con."_

_"Yeah, Lise," Mikaela added then, her voice softer than the other who had spoken before her. "Please, stay safe."_

_"Guys," Alise said then, exasperated that her friends would think she would make go against what they were telling her. "I promise, okay? I'm not going to deliberately go out and look for trouble! And I shouldn't be a top priority here! You guys have to be putting something more important ahead of my-"_

_"Alise," a stern, deep voice interjected, the authority in the tone stopping her short. Stepping forward was the holoform of Optimus Prime, the lean and tall human image coming before her. The Prime didn't activate his holoform very often, the leader not finding much reason to use it. His human figure was lean, not bulky like Ironhide, and was taller than any of the other holoforms. He had broad shoulders and a stiff posture, and his handsome face looked a bit unshaven with a tosel of black hair on his head. He walked over to her, standing in front of her and looking down at the interpreter._

_Ratchet had nearly blown a fuse when he began to activate this form, saying it was much too early and that he should be resting instead. But as usual, he put everyone before himself, and went against his doctor's orders._

_"I believe I speak for everyone here," he continued solemnly, "that your safety is one of our top priorities. All of our well beings are our number one concern, and if one of us is in danger, the rest of will come together. It would happen for any one of us, yourself included." He put his hand on the woman's shoulder. "You're apart of this family, Alise. And if you are in danger, we will do everything in our power to protect you."_

_Alise looked up at the holoform in front of her, giving him a small smile. She knew that already._

* * *

I made a deviantART! I can't draw but maybe some of you can! Find me at missstclaire.

Also, fyi this story will doing some jumping around, more so in the future when all the action starts.

Hope you all enjoyed! Please review and tell me what you think!

~Mel


	3. Bad Company

Hope you all enjoy! Please review and tell me what you think!

* * *

_Bad Company- Bad Company_

_11/12/09_

On a throne of stone and soil he sat, resting his battled, mechanical form as multiple tiny cons encircled his head, trying to repair the damage done by Optimus Prime just a few months ago. It did not matter to him where on this rock of a planet he was located; all that matter to him was that he could recover in peace, and that he wouldn't be able to see any of the primal species he had hoped to have by now dominated and destroyed.

Months flew by as quickly as minutes to ones as ancient as Megatron, making the pain of his gross defeat still fresh in his mind, as if it were yesterday. He couldn't see how the Autobots had bested him once more. He had_ The Fallen_ on his side, yet Optimus Prime destroyed him. He had_ killed Optimus Prime,_ yet he was revived. It seemed as if the whole universe was conspiring against him. He was so close,_ so painfully close… How could he have failed…_

"AAAAH!" he thundered rabidly, the recollections of his failure causing his angry outburst. Some of the tiny bots working on his head fell to the ground and squealed, only adding to his annoyance, staring them down and growling at them. Some of them tried to climb back up to his injuries and continue their work, but some stayed on the ground, too scared to attempt it.

Some distance away in the sky, a Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor flew towards Megatron's resting place, making its presence known by a loud wind sound following it. The plane suddenly began to dip dangerously, causing it to descend towards the ground in the Decepticon leader's direction. He didn't even flinch. He knew very well who it was.

Only yards from his master, Starscream transformed into his bipedal form midair, his feet landing on the ground loudly and destroying the earth beneath him, leaving massive, gaping marks. The con walked the rest of the way to stand in front of Megatron, taking in the sight of him. But before he had a moment to address Megatron, the injured leader spoke first.

"You disappoint me, Starscream," Megatron stated coldly to the returned con. "I send you out to gather information, and you return to me empty handed."

Starscream looked to the ground, ashamed.

"I apologize, Master," the flyer replied. "I couldn't locate the location of the Autobots, or any of the others associated with them. However-"

"Save it," the large con stopped him, holding up his hand. "If your words will not help me, there is no point in you speaking."

"Please, Master," Starscream stammered quickly, the bot flinching at if slapped. "Is there anything I can do to assist you in any way, anything you want-"

"I _want_ the heads of the_ Autobots at my FEET!"_ he boomed at the con, again making him flinch. Starscream tapped his fingers together nervously for a moment before responding.

"I apologize, Master," he repeated, not looking his superior in the eye. "I-I can't exactly do that-"

"Then_ find_ me someone who_ can!_" he scolded him. "What good are you, Starscream? You are of no use to me!"

Starscream looked towards the ground, shamed by his master's statement. The words pierced his Spark; he wanted Megatron to be _proud_ of him, not think of him as a nuisance, and insult to the Decepticons. He wanted to be better.

And he had an idea, something he had been formulating but never had the courage to talk about. Maybe this was the time, he thought to himself. What harm could it do?

"Master," he nervously spoke, looking up at Megatron after a moment's silence. "If I may… I believe I have a way to… something we can _use_ against the Autobots."

His superior turned his head towards the con, narrowing his eyes at the flyer.

"Go on," he said, his curiosity peaked. What in the_ pit_ could Starscream have come up with? He was prepared for another disappointment, but listened.

"Well, Master," he stuttered, his nerves getting the better of him. "The Autobots are so fond of their human pets, yes? The whole species even. What if… what if we _used_ them against them?" Starscream waited for a moment before going on, waiting to see a reaction. Megatron looked at the con, narrowing his eyes in concentration, interest. Starscream took this as a sign to continue, gaining more confidence. "If we take some of the humans, whether they be apart of their pathetic human army or not, it doesn't matter, we could use them to our advantage. Use them against the Autobots. Send them into situations where we would need the use of the holoforms. That way, if they succeed, it would be a mission success without one of us being on the front line. And if they die… what's a human life?"

There was a minute of silence, the words of Starscream resting on the ears of his leader.

"Starscream," Megatron mused for a moment, looking down at the con as a sinister smile cross his metallic lips. "Maybe you aren't as hopeless as I thought you to be…"

Starscream smiled widely, gazing up at his leader with wide eyes.

"Excellent, Master!" the con rejoiced. Suddenly, his expression turned dark and wicked, the smile overtaking his face full of malice. "And I believe I know which human will have the honor of being our first guest…"

* * *

_1/19/10_

Currently standing in the middle of a padded floor, Alise was soaked in sweat, and sore in every muscle of her body. Her hair, though tied up, was sticking to the back of her neck, and large wet patches were all around her shirt, her face a bright shade of red. She looked up at the figure in front of her, her eyes begging to be shown some, if only a little mercy. However, none was given.

"Again."

"UGHHH..." she exclaimed loudly and obnoxiously, her exhaustion and irritation getting the better of her. "'Hiiiidddee!" she started whining childishly, realizing how she was sounding but not caring at the moment. "We've been at this for_ two hours!_ I have moved my body in ways I didn't think were humanly possible,_ and_ I've done the technique just as you showed me _twenty times already!"_

He wasn't moved by her pity speech.

"Again."

One of the promises she made to her friends was that she would get proper self defense training, so at the very least she'd be able to somewhat defend herself against a holoform if ever necessary. However, she didn't realize that her trainer would be Ironhide, who was more than a little excited to take up such a role. Ever since her arm healed up back on Diego Garcia he'd been teaching her fighting and self defense techniques, and for the most part, she had gotten pretty good at it. But that wouldn't keep 'Hide from making sure she _stayed good_, and maybe even got great. However, 'Hide had decided today to push Alise harder than he ever had before, drilling her over and over again in the techniques without a break. She was tired and annoyed, and not putting up with it anymore.

If it had been a soldier 'Hide was doing this to, he would hear no complaints. However, this wasn't a soldier; this was _Alise._

She scowled at him, crossing her arms and standing in front of him firmly, not moving from her spot.

"No," she growled.

Ironhide, his eyes widening slightly at her defiance, mimicked her position, crossing his arms also.

"Oh?" he answered her, matching her sass and attitude. "If you feel you are so prepared, _please_ demonstrate."

Then, with a quick nod of his head over the top of her head, a pair of arms from a person she didn't realize was behind her suddenly made their way around her neck, putting her in a chokehold.

Alise had been in the situation many times before, but not so suddenly, and not with, telling by the girth of the arms around her, someone so large. However, she knew she how to act, her reactions reflexes ingrained into her over the last few months.

Quickly delivering a quick and powerful jab to her 'attacker's' rib cage, she then connected the heel of her foot to his foot, both attacks earning her sounds of pain from behind her. She then took the opportunity of the man's pain to quickly grab his looser arm and shift her weight frontward, causing him to propel and flip forward, and land roughly on the ground on his back, still reeling from his earlier pain. Alise was then able to see who her attacker was, and with a smug smile, saw that she had just taken down Master Sergeant Robert Epps.

Looking up at Ironhide then, his arms still crossed, she gave him a smirk, and mimicked his position.

"Satisfied?" she asked him, expecting some form of praise. But leave it to Ironhide to knock her down a few pegs.

"You should have been able to sense someone was behind you," 'Hide answered her tersely, unimpressed with her display.

Narrowing her expression at him, the girl rolled her eyes and began mumbling under her breath, calling him some not very nice names in Spanish as she bent over to help Epps up, making the holoform smirk.

"You good, Epps?" Alise asked him with a laugh, looking down at him on the floor. He gave her a thumbs up, from the ground, not speaking.

It had been almost a week since NEST had moved into D.C., and everyone was slowly situating themselves into life in the city. All the soldiers had moved into the base, the small but mighty number of them pleased to be on American soil rather than on an island in the middle of nowhere. While they weren't able to tell anyone of their location, even if they had family or friends in the area, they were enjoying themselves, while still working hard. The Autobots were adjusting well to the change also, the cooler weather greatly improving their dispositions. They too also enjoyed life in the city, drinking in the flurry of human activity.

Alise was_ loving_ life in the city. She had never been to D.C. before, but she loved the culture, the color, the weather, and the food, and she the longer she was there the happier she was to be off Diego Garcia. She spend a lot of her off duty time out in the city, and as always, she always told someone when she was leaving. However, because of the location of the base, she normally wasn't alone. Bee, Ironhide, or even Sideswipe usually gave her a ride because she couldn't get to most of the places she was going without a car.

Another detail Alise was happy about was that she was finally able to get back in touch with Camila, her best friend from Arizona, and stay in touch with her. It was only a few months after Alise had left the state that Cam had done the stay, the pressure from the town after Alise's 'disappearance' becoming too much for her. Cam had moved to San Diego and got a job at a law firm as a paralegal, which was what she went to university for. They had kept in contact by letter when Alise was on Diego Garcia, and she was now able to keep in contact by phone, which was a major improvement. She was able to use the base's secure phones to place calls, and it was great to hear her friend's voice again, and that she was doing well.

"Maybe I should recruit you, Lise," Epps joked as she helped him up. She smiled and laughed at the statement.

"Like Bee would ever let me do that," she answered him. "He worries too much. He was giving me the usual overprotective spiel before he left with Optimus, Lennox, and Ratchet this morning. 'Don't attract attention, stay on base if you can, let Ironhide know what you're doing,' blah blah blah."

"Well, you are the con blacklist. I think he has some reason to worry."

The interpreter gave him a sad smile. "I know, Epps, and I will do everything you guys asked me to to stay safe. But sometimes it's like he forgets I'm a person with my own mind. His worry is sweet, but it's too much sometimes."

A beeper located on Epps's belt began to sound then, making him excuse himself and go over to a corner of the room before he could comment on Alise's concern. 'Hide however, still there, was able to.

"Bumblebee is the most human of all the Autobots," 'Hide began, making the girl turn towards him. He understood Alise's concern, and he believed it valid; however, he wanted her to see Bee's side of the story, and why he was acting the way he was. "You are mostly to thank for that, girly. But you must remember, the Autobots have lost everything; our home, friends, family, whatever life we had on Cybertron is gone. This planet is our home now, and we will do everything in our power to protect it. Bumblebee does not want to lose anything else important to him, and_ you,_" he poked Alise squarely in the shoulder, making her jerk back slightly "are at the top of that list. He knows he will lose you many years from now, but there is a vast difference from you dying warm in your bed and you dying at the hands of a Decepticon, and the effect that either will have on him." The dark subject took a turn then, and 'Hide smirked. "So take some pity on the pathetic, love-struck bot. You have him in the palm of your fragging hand."

Alise, smiling lightly at the holoform, took in what 'Hide was trying to tell her. Not breaking eye contact with him, she absentmindedly started to play with the little bee around her neck with her fingertips. She understood what 'Hide was saying; Bee had lost too much already to lose her.

"Thanks, 'Hide," she told him sincerely, "for telling me why."

He gave her a small smirk. "Whatever, girly."

Epps then began to make his way over to the two again, this time with more hustle. He had a mirthful look on his face, and 'Hide and Alise, side by side, began to walk in his direction, meeting him halfway.

"What is it?" 'Hide asked first, his face scowling in confusion.

"Looks like we're going on a field trip," he told the two cheekily, earning even more confused looks from them.

"What?" Alise questioned.

"They're some suited fellows waiting in a parking lot about ten minutes from here," Epps reported to the two. He then turned and faced Alise. "And they're asking for you."

Alise flinched visibly, startled by the information. "What? How do they know… _What?"_

"We just got a call from the General," Epps told them both. "They're representatives from the French National Assembly. Ever since you saved them in Mission City, they've apparently been looking for you, and they were going thru a lot different channels to try and look for you, but no one knew who you were. Well, someone knows the General and happened to ask him, and after doing a crap ton of background and security checks, he finally told them he knew how to reach you."

"Why do they want to talk to me?"

"Probably to give you a personal thank you." Epps smiled wickedly, then. "And they have a gift for you."

Alise's face dropped. This was exactly why she didn't want anyone knowing where she was; she didn't want anything from the Assembly. She was just glad they were safe.

"Epps!" she cried out. "This is _exactly_ what I didn't want happening! They don't need to give me anything!"

"Well, tough shit I guess," he answered bluntly, no remorse on his face or in his tone.

"Quick go and get washed up, and meet us by the tech area in twenty minutes." Alise sighed, and then slowly nodded and began off in the direction of her room.

Fifteen minutes later, Alise was speedily walking to the tech area as Epps had instructed her to, cleaned off and wearing a new change of clothing, slacks, a nice shirt, and good shoes. When she arrived, she saw that Epps was dressed in full uniform, and to her great surprise… so was 'Hide? She had never seen him in a uniform before. In fact, she'd never seen his holoform in anything but a black shirt and dark jeans.

"What's happening?" Alise quickly asked them, making her way over to the two.

"'Hide and I are escorting you over there," Epps told her, holding out to her a camouflage jacket that Alise just realized was in his hand. She took it from him, giving him a questioning look.

"It's a bit cold outside," he told her with a smirk. "And it shows you're with us, and not interested in leaving," Epps elaborated.

The interpreter chuckled, putting it on. "As if two suited escorts weren't enough?" she answered.

"The General himself told me to," Epps answered, as the three began to walk towards Ironhide's Topkick. "He doesn't want them asking you in French right in front of me if you want a job in the assembly."

"Afraid I'll get a better offer?" she asked sarcastically. She rolled her eyes at her own statement as 'Hide smirked and Epps laughed. "General Morshower should know I would never leave, _especially_ for something like a larger pay."

"I don't think it's you leaving so much as them wanting you," Epps clarified as they reached the Topkick, its doors opening for them. 'Hide helped Alise onto the seat so she was sitting in the middle, and was then sandwiched between him and Epps as the Topkick began to roll out, heading out of the base and onto the streets of D.C. "He just doesn't want them asking, period. He wasn't really happy with telling them you were here in the first place, to be honest. He considers you one of his soldiers and felt as though he was compromising your safety."

"Is it?"

"Not really. Only four people know that you're associated with the military, and they don't know where we are or what we do exactly. Honestly, I think that was his excuse, but it fell through a bit. But he's not exactly losing either. He made them all sign a crap ton of confidentiality forms, and told them we were driving from an hour away."

"And that's not the only dishonest detail," 'Hide commented with a smirk from the driver's seat.

"Oh yeah," Epps remembered, suddenly beginning to laugh loudly. "They didn't know what your name was, so he changed it name, just to make sure nothing would come back to you."

"...Oh?" Alise said, slightly worried. "What is it?"

Epps paused for a moment before answering.

"Alice Black."

Mentally, she breathed a sigh of relief. She had about hundred other possibilities going through her head, and that was fortunately very safe.

"How creative."

'Hide chuckled on her left, finding humor in her tone, which was dripping in sarcasm.

Epps also found this funny. "That's what I was thinking. But just go with it if they mention it," he paused for a moment, giving her a teasing look, "'Alice.'"

'Alice' then punched Epps in the shoulder.

The rest of the ride was in silence, Ironhide taking them to the parking lot where they were meeting the representative, which was only a short drive away from the base. After a few minutes they turned a corner into street with a large lot, only one car in Alise's view parked in it, which looked to belong to a supermarket that had closed down. The area was quiet for the most part. A few cars passed them but for the most part there wasn't any heavy traffic like you would normally find in D.C. 'Hide pulled into the empty lot, where Alise saw two men standing.

The shorter of the two was a pudgy man with a white mustache and a balding head, who had a happy, all around gentle look on his face, looking around at the buildings overhead. The other man, leaner, taller, and with a thick head of greying hair, was holding an envelope in his hands, his eyes mostly examining the ground below them. The two men were dressed in fine suits, and standing in front of a vehicle Alise couldn't see.

When they pulled into the lot, the two men looked up at the Topkick and smiled, both standing straighter and putting their arms in front of them. 'Hide parked a few yards away and appeared to stuff off the Topkick, and then the three exited, 'Hide helping Alise out of the driver seat side. Smiling at the two men, Alise then started to walk towards the two men.

"Mademoiselle Alice Black?" the taller of the two asked her as she approached them, Ironhide's holoform a few feet behind her, the Master Sergeant at his side. She knew that by now he would be translating everything they said so he could understand, and she answered the man, her French coming out.

"Oui, Monsieur," she responded with a slight smile on her face, finding humor in being called the alias. The two men's faces lit up.

"Hello, Miss Black," the taller one responded, closing the small space between them and shaking her hand. "My name is Pierre Delcamp, and this is my associate Michele Petitjean."

"Hello," the other man cut in with a smile, shaking her hand also.

"Hello, sirs," she answered politely, standing before them quitely.

"We are here today on behalf of the National Assembly of France and its members, to give you our sincerest gratitude for your bravery and courage for saving the lives of many of our representatives in Mission City in 2007," Delcamp continued professionally, speaking as though he was addressing an important figurehead. "We would have come to you sooner to give you our thanks, Miss Black, however, you are a very difficult person to find," he added with a chuckle.

"So I'm being told," Alise responded with a laugh of her own. "Of course. A thank you really isn't necessary. I am just thankful for the safety of everyone at the center." She knew it sounded cheesy, but what else could she say?_ I didn't want anyone at the center to get squashed by a Decepticon and die painfully? _

"Well, we believe otherwise, Miss Black," Petitjean continued, smiling widely at her. The more Alise looked at him the more she thought he reminded her of the Monopoly man, but she decided to keep that comment deep within her mind. "That is also why we are here this afternoon. The Assembly, in our thanks, would like to present you with a small token of our appreciation, for going beyond what was asked of you, and saving our representatives."

"Oh, please," Alise said then, waving her hands slightly. "I really am not looking for anything in return. Your thanks is more than enough."

"Please," Delcamp disagreed with her, shaking his head. "We insist." He then held out the envelope in his hands to her, smiling lightly.

Hesitantly, she took the envelope from the man, and to her surprise, felt that there didn't seem to be any paper in it, but an object. She opened the envelope, and her eyes widened when she pulled out a pair of… car keys?

Looking at them questioningly, she quickly from them to the keys and back.

"I don't understand," she said meekly, but she had an idea of what was happening._ Please, tell me I'm imagining this._

"Miss Black, we'd like to introduce you to your new mode of transportation," Petitjean announced, and as he said this, the two stepped away from the car behind them. Alise's mouth fell open.

The car was a super sleek, black coupe, most definitely a sports car. It looked brand new, and like nothing she had ever seen before, everything from the framework to the headlights completely different from anything she'd ever seen on US soil. The car was gorgeous, and looked dangerously expensive, like something she couldn't even dream to buy. Then, walking to look at the front of it, she felt the blood drain from her face as she saw the words Bugatti grace the grill.

She turned back to the two men, her eyes wide.

_"A car?!"_ Alise spit yelled out, flabbergasted, so much so that she had exclaimed this in English.

The two men laughed, amused that she was so surprised at their gesture.

"Yes, a car," Delcamp answered her, saying this in English as she did. He switched back to French to continue. "This is the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport, Miss Black. It will be unveiled later this year to the public, but we decided it would be a special treat for you to be the first person to have one. It will be the fastest street legal vehicle in the world, and can reach speeds of up to 267 mph."

"You will have to register it in your name here in the US. However, all of its expenses are paid for, except of course for the gas," Petitjean added. The two then paused, waiting for her reaction.

Alise couldn't speak for a few moments, wondering if this was a joke someone was playing on her, and that any moment someone would come out and yell, "SIKE!" She kept looking from the car to the men, waiting for something to happen. However, as the men continued to stand there, she realized that what was happening was very real, and that she had to say something.

"This is too much," she told them, shaking her head. "I can't except this. I just did what any other person would do."

The men smiled and shook their heads.

"You'd think that, Miss Black, however there are not many who would have done what you did," Petitjean told her solemnly. "Please, Miss Black. Those were our friends in Mission City that day. We really cannot thank you enough, and this is how we can think to repay you."

Alise smiled gratefully at them, not knowing what else to say. Seeing that she was no longer going to protest, the men both smiled at her and nodded.

"While, Miss Black, we won't take up any more of your time today. We thank you again, and we hope you enjoy."

After another round of handshaking and more profuse thanking from Alise, the two men walked away and entered the other car that was alone in the parking lot. The two then drove off, leaving Alise still in a bemused state as to what just happened.

It was Epps who snapped her out of her dazed state.

"Uh, did I hear the word_ Bugatti_ in all that French talk?" he asked her, seeming just as shocked as she was.

"They gave me a car," Alise stated, dazed. "They- gave- me- a- car." Suddenly, her own words were starting to reach her brain, and it dawned on her. Suddenly, a flood of adrenaline seemed to hit her. "They gave me a _Bugatti!_ Oh my _god_._ Holy shit!"_

'Hide's holoform came over then, inspecting the vehicle for himself. Even he nodded in approval at the sports car.

"This is an impressive human vehicle," he told Alise. "It was very generous of them."

"I can't believe this," Alise continued on. "The only car I ever had was the '76 Chevy in Arizona! And that was $2000 off my neighbor! This is probably worth-"

"An estimated £1.7 million," 'Hide finished for her, obviously having just searched the web for the answer. Alise ran a hand thru her hair, and Epps made a loud whistle.

"Well, I know who I'm driving back with," Epps said giddily, almost as if the new car was his. "Ha ha! Lennox can _suck it!_ Thinks he's so special because he gets to go to South Beach on a surveying mission. But HA! I get a day with a Bugatti!" Snatching the keys from Alise's hand, Epps jumped into the passenger's seat and closed the door, turning on the car. The Bugatti started up with a gentle purr, and 'Hide and Alise could hear Epps laughing from the inside. Suddenly the window rolled down, and the Master Sergeant looked out it at the holoform. "Don't expect us back right away, Ironhide. We gotta test this baby out."

As Epps rolled the window back up, Alise turned to 'Hide next to her and gave him a nervous smile.

"If we're not back in an hour, send out a search party," she told him seriously.

The holoform nodded in agreement. "My thoughts exactly."

* * *

I think the Bugatti needs a name. What do you guys think? Any ideas?


	4. Always Gold

_Please keep mind of the dates! I put them there so the timeline of this is easier to understand. Thanks for the help with names for the Bugatti! Also, I don't know the story of the Nemesis, but I'm using it how I like here, so please forgive me for my creative liberties! Please review and tell me what you think!_

* * *

_Always Gold- Radical Face_

_1/17/10_

In a restaurant in South Beach, Florida, the early afternoon lunch crowd began to make its way into the many tables the seaside eatery provided, large groups of patrons seeming to all come in at the same time. Families, couples, friends, and parties of one all started to fill in the empty seats, until the small location was filled to capacity, all of the tables entertaining themselves with smiles, laughter. The sight would have made the owner of the establishment beam; his or her's restaurant was a great place of congregation and socialization, known for its good food, and great atmosphere.

However, while most of the guests enjoyed the blue waters and company, there was one table in this cozy place that didn't have this warm feeling around it, a table in the corner of the restaurant, away from all the others.

Sitting at the square table were three men, all taking defensive positions as their eyes traveled all around the room, keeping a lookout for any threat that could arise. They had no food or drink in front of them, and were all just staring at each other, not caring too much to speak.

Suddenly, a tall, lean man entered the building, and with no hesitancy made his way over to the table, taking the seat closest to him and sitting down as three sets of angry eyes met his own.

"Why are we here, Starscream?" one of the intimidating men spoke to him harshly. "You know how I hate this form, and how much I detest humans' grotesque behavior." He gestured to the people around him who were eating greatly, laughing loudly, and coughing, sneezing, spreading their pathogens.

The image of a man in front of him turned in his direction.

"That is _precisely_ why we're here, Soundwave," the holoform answered him matter-of-factly. "I want you to remember why we despise them so greatly, why their destruction will be such a favor to the universe." He turned to the rest of the group. "You all have been rather quiet, lately. If I were a lesser con I'd believe you all were growing soft on the species."

"You should speak, Starscream," Shockwave growled menacingly at him from across the table. "After your horrid defeat in that desert we haven't heard one click from you, or Megatron. Hiding in the wilderness somewhere with your tailpipe between your aft, Screamy?"

"Megatron is injured!" the Seeker hissed, leaning across the table at him at the con in front of him. "He is healing." Starscream paused for a moment, trying to cool down. He then continued. "In the meantime, we're being assigned a mission. We are to capture this human associated with the Autobots."

An image appeared before the eyes of the other three holoforms within milliseconds, the picture of a familiar woman with long brown hair, brown eyes, and tan skin, looking up at the photo's creator with wide, frightened eyes. It was obviously an image Starscream had taken of her from one of their encounters in the past two years.

The photo provoked a collective sigh from the other members of the group, making Starscream's holoform looked at the group in confusion.

"What is it now?" he demanded.

"Fragging scrap, Starscream, give it a rest," Shockwave's holoform bluntly told him. "You've been after this fragging human for almost two years, and your empty threats and vows of vengeance are making us _all_ short a circuit. 'I'm going to separate that femme's skin from her bone!' 'I will rip her limbs from her organic torso!' 'I will drain that sack of flesh on a stake!' Blah, blah, blah. Primus, either kill the fleshing already and get it over with or _shut the frag up."_

"I agree, Screamy," Soundwave said with a chuckle. "You're just fowl 'cause she fried your hand."

Starscream narrowed his eyes at the two. "And you wouldn't be?"

"Oh certainly," Shockwave answered him. "Only she'd be dead by now if it were me."

Starscream was fuming. This meeting was to make a plan, not be a bashing session on his so called "empty threats."

"What am I supposed to do?" the Seeker demanded. "She is under _direct Autobot protection._ She is the charge of the scout Bumblebee, and his..." Starscream stopped for a moment, disgusted by the very thought of what he was about to say. _"...mate."_ He then looked to the group, another sour look on his face. "I can't exactly just _take_ her so easily!"

"Ah, yes," Shockwave nodded, an amused look coming on his face. "I'm glad you bring this point up. So, taking into account everything you have just said, and that you are so surprised Bumblebee has taken a human as his mate-"

"I'm not surprised," Barricade's holoform commented indifferently then, speaking for the first time since Starscream arrived. "You weren't there when I first came to Earth in search of the Witwicky boy and those fragging glasses. The _boy_ may have been under his protection but the femme was the real one he was trying to protect, at least at the time."

"Barricade, you should be siding with _me,"_ Starscream protested fiercely. "Am I not correct in saying she dented _your_ hand also?"

"Yes, but I got over it, much quicker than you have _obviously."_ This comment produced a chuckle from Soundwave, and a smirk from the other seated con.

"Either way," Shockwave injected, continuing where he left off. "Why exactly do you think we're going to agree to help you with your personal, and quite frankly _outdated,_ agenda?"

"Because they're not my orders; they're from Megatron," Starscream retaliated, and was awarded with the smug looks being wiped off the cons' faces. He smirked in victory. "Megatron sees my view that the loss of the girl would be a large blow to the Autobots and their troops, and he wishes to use the girl also. Apparently she has peaked his interest in the past as to her abilities to control other humans and believes she could be a great advantage."

The three holoforms all looked at Starscream quietly. Great doubt was in all their minds, but they were not about to disobey the orders of Megatron.

"All this, just to kill a human, Starscream?" Soundwave asked him solemnly.

"I don't plan to kill her…" he said evenly, but then his face broke out wickedly with a smile full of malice. "...right away. And it wouldn't end with her. I believe the humans could be of great use to us. And that is why I called you all here today; to find her and help me begin a new project."

"Firstly, how do you propose we find this femme?"

"I'm going to make a very conspicuous exit when we leave here today," the Seeker explained. "The Autobots will more than likely come down to investigate, and we're going to be waiting, but not attack. We'll calculate how long it takes them to get here and in which direction they came from. It'll give us an extremely rough estimate of what direction their base is located, and from there we spread out cover at the major areas of human population. They must be hiding in plain sight."

The three other cons, while wary, nodded.

"And what about this 'project' of yours?" Barricade asked.

Starscream smirked.

"Tell me, Shockwave. What is the current state of the Nemesis?"

* * *

_1/26/10_

In her room at NEST, Alise was currently making herself some dinner, boiling water on her stove top and cooking meatballs in her small oven. Sporting a pair of baggy sweatpants and a loose shirt, she was hell bent on relaxing after a long and exhausting day at work. She couldn't recall having been so busy in a long time; she had had five calls that day, one going to Spain, one to Mexico, one to France, and two to Russia, all of them consecutive to one another and ranging about two hours each. She was dead on her feet, and all she wanted to do was sit on her ass, eat, and watch tv until she fell asleep.

She was listening to a Pandora station on her phone, singing along badly to a song she didn't know very well but liked, as she added spaghetti to her boiling water. She was in her own little world at the moment, currently doing an embarrassing musical number alone in her kitchen, so when her 'doorbell' suddenly went off, she nearly had a heart attack, jumping where she stood and almost dropping the boxes of uncooked noodles in her hand. Placing it back on the counter and turning her music off, she walked over to the speaker next to her door.

"Who is it?" she spoke through the speaker.

_"'It's me, it's me…'"_ Alice Cooper's voice entered her speakers in response, and she smiled in surprised, knowing exactly who it was.

She hadn't talked to Bee since he left for South Beach a week ago. They no longer talked on the phone every night like they had when she was on Diego Garcia, the two deeming it unnecessary at this stage in their relationship because though they missed each other, they knew they'd be seeing each other very soon. A little separation was good for them too.

Alise hit a button on the wall, and the large, Cybertronian sized door opening hastily, as in entered the Camaro with a happy beep. Quickly parking in the spot made for him, the driver's seat door opened, revealing Bee's holoform as the door closed. He had smirk on his face as he began to walk over towards her, happy to see the femme after a long week.

"Oh hi, stranger," she said cheekily as he came closer, now only a foot in front of her. "I don't believe I recognize you."

"Oh?" he asked with mock confusion as he raised his brow. "Then I guess I'll have to remind you…"

Smiling, Alise wrapped her arms around the holoform, giving him a long, welcome back kiss. She smiled against his lips as she felt his arms encircle her waist, and it was a long moment before Alise pulled back slightly, looking up at him with smiling eyes.

"How long have you been back?" she asked breathlessly when their lips parted.

"About an hour," Bee answered her quietly. "Already was debriefed, so I'm yours for the rest of the night."

"Oh, really?" Alise laughed, her tone laced with sarcasm. "What a shame, I was hoping for night of peace and quiet, and not having to deal with some rusty Autobot…"

Bee cocked an eyebrow at the femme in front of him. "Pity, I guess."

Before she could comprehend what was going on, Bee threw her over his shoulder with a firm grip, producing a surprised squeak from the girl.

_"Bumblebee!"_

"Sorry, I don't believe I _heard_ you correctly," his voice said almost indifferently, but though she couldn't see his face, she could almost hear the smirk on his face. _"What_ did you just call me?"

_"Rusty,"_ she hissed mirthfully at him. "A rusty Autobot with loose bolts,_ and_ dirty tires."

"You _wound_ me," he sighed with fake hurt. "That's a lot of tough talk coming from a fleshy human."

Alise was suddenly taken from Bee's shoulder and was held in front of him, her wrapping her legs around his waist as the holoform held her weight effortly. Now looking him in the face, Alise smirked, biting her lip.

"But I'm _your_ fleshy human, bolt brain."

"Guess I have poor taste in humans."

"Guess I have poor taste in _Autobots."_

The two gently connected their foreheads then, Alise closing her eyes, content in the intimacy between them. She was so happy with her current stage in life. She had her job at NEST, a home, wonderful friends and family, Bee… Everything was looking up for her, and she couldn't think of anything she would change. _Just so happy..._

Suddenly, Bee lifted his head up, a confused look on his face as he smelled something off in the air.

"Is something burning?"

Alise frowned, quickly realizing what the odor was coming from.

"Oh damn, quick put me down!"

Obliquing to her request, he placed her on the floor and she quickly ran towards the smell of her oven and burning dinner. With lightning speed she slipped on an oven mit and retrieved the tray they were on, taking them out and placing them on the cool stove top. As she examined them for a moment, she bit her lip and turned towards Bee, cocking an eyebrow.

"I blame you for the death of my meatballs. That was my mom's recipe, they had so much to live for…"

Bee laughed lightly as he walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her waist and holding her close as she continued to prepare her dinner. He was quiet for a moment, until he finally decided to say the statement that was on his mind.

"So I met your new car…"

Alise smirked at the statement she heard behind her.

When her and Epps first brought the Bugatti back to base, it was given not one, but_ half a dozen_ full inspections in order to make sure there were no bugs, tracking devices, explosives, or any other tech that could pose a threat to NEST, but mostly to make sure it wasn't a con. Though 'Hide was able to just look at any vehicle and determine if it was Cybertronian or not, they wanted to double, nay, quadruple check, much to the weapons specialist's offence. But after a very thorough examination, the Bugatti, unlike most of the vehicles at NEST, was deemed completely inanimate.

Her meal off the burners, she turned around in his grasp, smiling up at him.

"Did you!" she asked with pep in her tone. "Well, what do you think of Bugs?"

"Bugs?" he questioned, his face narrowing. "What kind of a name is Bugs?"

"The one I gave him, _Bumblebee."_

Bee bit his lip, knowing he'd been caught there. But something dawned on his face then, making him look at her in question. _"Him?"_

Alise chuckled at his statement, stepping out of his grasp with her food to sit at the small table close by. Grabbing his hand, she lead him over, and the two sat down.

She gave him a smirk, and an examining side glance. "Are you jealous I'll be in the arms of another car?"

He rolled his eyes. "Well, when you put it that way…"

Alise laughed lightly. "I'm only teasing, Bee. If you've seen him then you know where he's from. The National Assembly dropped him off the afternoon you guys left for South Beach, and since then he's been registered in my name and has been around the block a few times. Epps said I should give him a name, and Bugs the Bugatti fit." Alise smirked. "Not gonna lie, Epps has driven him more than I have, I'm starting to get worried I won't find the keys one day."

"So you're replacing me?"

"Obviously. I can't be seen driving around in the same sports car twice."

Bee rolled his eyes once more. Smiling, Alise reached across the table and took his hand.

"Of course I'm not replacing you, Bee, I could never," she told him affectionately. He looked up at her with a smile. "It was an unnecessary, but very gratefully received gift, but if I hadn't gotten one this way I wouldn't have gotten one at all." Now seeing that she got his attention, a certain glint of mischief crossed her eyes. "And now you don't need to take me places…"

"But I _like_ taking you places."

"You don't need to waste your energy on me…"

"Alise, come on-"

"And I won't be a _bother_ anymore…"

Bee smirked, gripping her tightly.

"You could never be a bother to me," he told her quietly, kissing her hand lightly.

Alise smiled at him once more.

Again, she mused at how blessed she really was, and knew she could never take it for granted.


End file.
